Batterson turned himself into the Seminole County Jail Thursday night and bonded out a short time later.

Batterson, who was appointed to the board in 2011, was indicted by a grand jury on one count of bribery and two counts of soliciting unlawful compensation as a public official. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison.

He has been suspended from the Expressway Authority.

"Today, my office took immediate action to suspend Scott Batterson from the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority. All public officials must be held to the highest ethical standards -- and we support State Attorney Jeff Ashton's efforts to hold public officials accountable," Gov. Rick Scott said in a statement.

Scott attended the opening of the Verizon Finance Center in Lake Mary and stressed he took action that matters most to toll payers -- removing Batterson from any position of power over those toll dollars.

"It's very disappointing that what Scott Batterson is accused of, indicted for," Scott said. "I did the right thing, and he was suspended. We expect every public official to live up to the high standards. We'll make replacements to any boards or commissions like this just as quickly as I can."

Ashton declined to say exactly what Batterson is accused of doing. Ashton has been investigating the toll authority for months over possible violations of Sunshine Laws, but this indictment was the result of other information uncovered in the probe.

Batterson, Marco Pena, who was appointed to the Expressway by Gov. Rick Scott, and the Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Noranne Downs voted to oust former Expressway Executive Director Max Crumit in August 2013.

All three had denied conspiring in secret to dump Crumit and hire Rep. Steve Precourt.

A WESH 2 News investigation in September revealed text messages and emails that appear to show the three were communicating prior to the meeting, which is potentially a violation of open meeting laws.

One email shows former Rep. Chris Dorworth, Precourt and Batterson dined last July for a strategy meeting.

Ashton said he expects the grand jury to meet again and there could be more indictments.

The initial investigation started after Chairman Walter Ketchum suggested the three may have violated open meeting laws and conspired to fire the Expressway Authority's former executive director.

WESH 2 spoke with Ketchum after the grand jury verdict. He said he doesn't want these allegations to taint the Expressway Authority's reputation.

"I would hate to see really good people, who serve on the Expressway Authority and other boards, be painted with that same brush," Ketchum said. "Each person stands on their own, and if Mr. Batterson did something improper he should be punished for it."

Afterwards, she told WESH 2 she hopes that new legislation is passed that will form a new Regional Expressway Authority, that will be made up of mostly elected officials. Jacobs said having mostly elected officials will make the board more accountable to taxpayers.

THIS IS "WESH 2 NEWS FIRST AT 4" IN HIGH DEFINITION. GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT IS HINTING HE MAY FAVOR A TOTAL MAKEOVER OF THE LOCAL EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY. THAT COMES JUST ONE DAY AFTER SCOTT'S OWN APPOINTEE TO THE TOLL AGENCY WAS ARRESTED. THIS IS HOW SCOTT BATTERSON LOOKED AFTER TURNING HIMSELF IN AT THE SEMINOLE COUNTY JAIL LAST NIGHT. HAD SORT OF A GRIN ON HIS FACE. HE BONDED OUT A SHORT TIME LATER. WESH 2 POLITICAL REPORTER GREG FOX IS HERE WITH US LIVE. DO E KNOW IF AN OVERALL OF THE AGENCY IS LIKELY SOON? IF IT'S GOING HAPPEN THIS YEAR LAW ENFORCEMENTS HAVE TO MOVE QUICKLY. THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION ENDS ONE WEEK FROM TODAY AND THERE IS NO AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY'LL PASS A BILL AND SEND IT TO THE GOVERNOR'S DESK. ARE YOU GOING TO BE AT THE GRAND JURY TOMORROW? WHEN SCOTT BATTERSON REFUSED TO TALK WITH US ON WEDNESDAY, PERHAPS HE SUSPECTED THEN THAT THE GRAND JURY THURSDAY WOULD INDICT HIM ON THREE COUNTS OF BRIBERY CITING EVIDENCE OF CORRUPTION BY A PUBLIC OFFICIAL. WHILE HE MAY NOT BE AS WELL-KNOWN TO TOLL PAYERS AS A POPULAR TOWN MAYOR MIGHT BE TO CITIZENS, BATTERSON WAS IN THE POSITION TO OVERSEE AND INFLUENCE THE SPENDING OF BILLIONS OF CURRENT AND FUTURE TOLL ROAD DOLLARS. EXACTLY WHO BATTERSON WAS INVOLVED WITH IN THE ALLEGED BRIBERY SCHEME IS NOT BEING RELEASED BY THE STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. BUT FRIEND AND FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE CHRIS DORWOTH WHO DECLINED AN INVITATION TO APPEAR BEFORE A GRAND JURY CURRENTLY REPRESENTS SEVERAL COMPANIES THAT DO BUSINESS WITH THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY. LIKE ALL APPOINTMENTS I TRY TO FIND THE BEST PERSON FOR THE JOB. GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT APPOINTED BATTERSON TO THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY BOARD IN 2011. DURING AN APPEARANCE IN LAKE MARY HE GAVE SOME INDICATIONS THAT HE INTENDS TO SIGN A BILL BEING DEBATED BY LAWMAKERS THAT IF PASSED WOULD DISSOLVE THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY AND REPLACE THE CURRENT AGENCY LEADERSHIP WITH NINE, NOT FIVE, MEMBERS. MOST OF WHOM WOULD BE ELECTED. WE EXPECT EVERY PUBLIC OFFICIAL TO LIVE UP TO HIGH STANDARDS. WE'LL MAKE A REPLACEMENT OF ANY, YOU KNOW, BOARDS ARE GOING TO BE SELECTED AS QUICKLY AS I CAN. NOT ONLY DID BATTERSON DECLINE AN INVITATION TO SPEAK WITH THE GRAND JURY SO DID MARCO PENA. BUT WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I TRIED TO ASK THE GOVERNOR ABOUT PENA, A MAN HE ALSO APPOINTED TO THE